The Witch
by Mina Monster
Summary: Because she is an enigma to everyone. To the knights, to the Princes, and even to the King himself, that they all grew so very fascinated and captivated by her whole being. One by one, they all fell for the doctor-witch, and they couldn't stop themselves. It was then too late before they have realized what dangers there are in loving her. Non-massacre AU. RATED M for future updates
1. Chapter 1: The Royal decree

_**This story is originally a Code Geass fic. It was inspired by the movie Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. But I was really into Naruto right now, and I figured that there are many Sakura haters, and I love Sakura. Sooo, you can say this is my way to annoy them XD**_

_**Still not sure about the pairing... But-eh! I'll figure it out as the story progresses.**_

_**She gets all the hot guys! Hehe...**_

* * *

**The Witch**

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Chapter One: The Royal decree

"You know he will not heal. " The deep voice of his nephew resounded on the porcelain walls of the hallway. They are currently standing outside the room of the youngest of the Uchiha brothers, both his nephews, and both the only people who are fit to replace him and be the king of the land of fire when the time comes.

A wince made its way to his handsome face as a series of coughing sounds coming from the closed room in front of them filled the silent hall, replacing the echoes of his older nephew's voice, hanging on the dark space like a thick, heavy smog that almost suffocated them both.

He saw Itachi tense as they listened to poor Sasuke cough his lungs out. A moment more and the sound died down into little murmuring noises. Itachi sent him a deadly glare, which he only returned with a sigh.

"I know…"

Itachi clenched his fists, obvious anger written on his face, "When are you going to send a doctor to take a look at him, then?" He said in a livid tone.

Another sigh escaped Madara's lips as he put a hand over his face and swiped downward in an attempt to wipe out some of his stress. Of course, he knew of how much Itachi loved his little brother, and he understood him, because Madara loved Izuna that much too. "You are well aware Itachi that I have sent almost all of the most competent doctors we have, are you not?"

He would admit that he had not paid all of his attention to Sasuke's current state. What else could he do besides send the most skillful doctors on the land and hope that they cure Sasuke? He is the king; he had many responsibilities besides taking care of his family. Running a whole country and preparing for an upcoming battle with the land of Music is not helping at all with the situation.

An uncomfortable silence followed. Neither knew what to say, Madara is not really the comforting kind, not to another man, at least. Besides, Itachi is old enough to know how to handle this situation without the comfort and advice of others. After this moment fuming and ranting, he sure will go back to his normal, calm, collected, and rational self.

* * *

Itachi looked away. He knew Madara was right, because he had been there whenever a doctor would come to the palace and take a look at Sasuke. He was there, suffering as much whenever Sasuke would cough violently and spit up blood while delirious with fever. He watched over him go through the pain, which whenever he witnesses, felt like he was experiencing it too.

He couldn't really blame his uncle; it wasn't about the incompetent doctors, or the lack of their knowledge. It was because Sasuke had been struck by a particular disease that no human had ever encountered. It was new, it had only been a week and yet it seemed like Sasuke had been sick for all his life. It is indeed very rare, and very strong. Any member of royalty does not get sick, do not get old, and are VERY hard to kill. Practically, they are all immortal, which is why the whole family had been alarmed when Sasuke started coughing up on the dinner table one night, which eventually led to him being bed-ridden because of a too weakened state. After three days, he couldn't even walk anymore, and after four, couldn't swallow, then after five, whatever entered his mouth wouldn't go down and even before his digestive system could start breaking down food, it would immediately go back up his throat and out of his mouth.

It was a horrible sight to see, especially for Itachi, his heart twisted whenever his younger brother cried, yes, he actually cried, and asked him- pleaded him, to just kill him to make it all quick and painless. He would tell his brother to stop saying foolish things; that he will be well in no time, to stop being such a baby because it's been only a week and yet he had been complaining too much.

And his brother would reply. He would tell him that it is impossible, that he would die eventually, that it's only been a week and the sickness had gone worse and worse each day, that if he continued to live, he would only suffer more and bring pain to the people around him, and that the illness would still kill him later on.

And itachi's heart would break all over again…

Itachi's musings had been interrupted by a loud, booming voice, "Itachi!"

Both males turned to the source and their eyes landed on a blue-skinned man. The blue looked faded and worn, like the color of the blue roses they had in the gardens at daylight, due to the white light from the moon.

For a moment, the man, Kisame, looked curious for a minute. His face soon turned into an apologetic one as he came to realize that he had just interrupted an argument between two royals. "Forgive my discourtesy, my King," he turned to Madara, "Your Highness." then he turned to Itachi, and then proceeded kneeling to the both of them. Itachi gave a light snort, "Drop the honorifics, Kisame."

Kisame is one of the Ten Royal Knights, himself included, and also one of the closest people to him. The Ten Royal Knights are the strongest and intelligent knights especially given benefits of some Royal Rights that are supposed to only be for Royals, and though all of them are from noble families, some of them are really hard to persuade. The kingdom needs their strength, and after a rather long discussion, they have managed to strike a deal with the Royals to give them some Royal Rights, and in turn, they will join the force of the army. They are mainly one of the reasons why the Land of Fire is very successful when it comes to battles and wars.

Madara motioned for him to stand, "And what might be the reason for that?"

Kisame stood to his full height, the man towered everyone, even the King himself who is a tall man on his own.

"I have good news," A wide grin slowly spread into his features, the gills under his eyes stretching. Others may find it frightening; but to them who are used to the man's face which oddly resembled a shark's, it is the equivalent of a simple smile, "For your brother, Itachi."

Itachi's full attention was instantly on him. He became irritated when Kisame said nothing for a while and continued to grin. His brows met at the middle of his forehead in a downward shift, "Well, what are you still smiling about? Tell me, immediately." The urgency in his voice seemed to only make Kisame even further amused.

"There had been rumors of a witch-doctor going around for some time now. I happened to hear one of 'em while Hidan and I went into a pub and-"Kisame was cut-short of his narration by Madara.

"The point is?-"Madara raised a single, thin brow at the blue man.

Kisame cleared his throat, "The point is that, according to these 'rumors', the witch-doctor can cure any, and I mean 'any' kinds of illnesses, and that she is currently residing inside the land boundaries, deep into the dark parts of the forest. " He made sure to emphasize the word 'any' while explaining.

The two Royals were silent for a moment, seeming to think of possibilities and weigh consequences of their next action. The two looked at each other, mutually understanding what was in each other's mind.

"It is a rumor. It may or may not be true." Madara started.

"Rumor or not, Sasuke is dying. I want him to live, uncle. You, of all people, should be the one to understand how I feel." Itachi countered through gritted teeth. Fists clenched and eyes narrowed, he stared at his uncle's visible eye. Black met black.

The stare-down continued for a lingering moment, each Uchiha never giving in to the other, Kisame shifting gazes between the King and his nephew. It ended when Madara looked away and heaved a defeated sigh from the bottom of his diaphragm. "…. Alright…"

Itachi's features softened and he gave his uncle a little smile, "Thank you, your Highness…"

Madara returned the smile with his own, even littler one. He gave a look at the closed doors in-front of him, heaved another sigh, and then faced Kisame. The man seemed more than ready to take orders. "By Royal decree, I order you and Hidan to find this witch-doctor and bring her here; drag her if you have to, and offer her fifty-thousand gold. If she refuses, then double or triple the amount."

Kisame nodded, and with a wave of the hand, Madara had dismissed him.

* * *

_**Poor Sasuke-kun...**_

_**Anyways, find out what happens on the next chapter, and also, GIVE REVIEWS!**_

_**XD**_

_**-Mina**_


	2. Chapter 2: The Runaway Princess

**Chapter 2: The Runaway Princess**

* * *

Sakura made a mental note to gather edible mushrooms later on while searching for medicinal plants on the surrounding forest.

She once again, stared at the big but empty basket sitting innocently at the food compartment. Her mentor, Tsunade, had probably eaten all of the food while she had been gone the past week in a trip to the nearby town opposite the Land of Fire to sell medicinal herbs, and have forgotten to tell either her or Shizune to go to the market and buy food. She closed the cabinet and opened the other closed one next to it, scanning over the numerous labeled jars and stopped when her eyes read 'dried laurel leaves'. She was only about to reach out for it when she heard Tsunade's voice call for her:

"Sakura, come here!"

Her eyes turned to the stairwell behind her, leading up to her mentor's room. "Now what does she need me for?"

Closing the compartment, she walked towards the stairway in a hurried pace. Her mentor does not like to wait, and she isn't really sure of what would happen if she got irritated again. The walls of the basement had just been fixed; she hoped she wouldn't need to have another one mended again.

She reached the door at the top of the stairwell and knocked three times to make sure that she would not anger Tsunade by being disrespectful. A loud 'enter' was the response to her knock. She opened the door and was greeted, to her surprise, by a smiling Tsunade. She looked at Sakura with both amusement and unhindered joy; as if she just found out that she will be having a tremendous amount of money that she would, obviously, use to sustain her gambling and alcohol vices.

"Good afternoon, Master Tsunade." She greeted, not liking the way she was smiling even though she wasn't looking at her, and she wished to whomever it was out there that it's not what she thought it is. She looked at her busy Master and examined her face.

Tsunade is a fifty two year-old woman who looked like a twenty-something girl with an enormous chest, one of her defining traits besides her very short patience reserve.

Judging from the red cheeks and partially garbled speech, she concluded that Tsunade was drunk. She was sitting behind her desk; the flat surface of the oak wood was piled up with different kinds of herbs. Books of special kinds and different sizes littered the floor in messy disarrays. She was holding a bottle of rum on her left hand, the other fumbling on the drawers of her desk. Her head whipped up to meet her eyes, then down again to get back to what she was doing. She continued to smile, and then muttered slurryly a small and whispered, 'There you are!' after retrieving a small, wooden box the size of her fist from the bottom left compartment.

"Come. Come my child, I want to show you something…" She held out her polished hands to Sakura who obliged quickly and took it, the more drunk she is, the more sensitive and easily angered she could be. She does not wish to be on the receiving end of her fury.

Sakura sat beside her and made sure to maintain a safe distance between them.

'Just in case.' She thought. Tsunade is a very moody woman due to the combined bad experiences she have had in life.

She once asked Shizune when she was still a little, innocent girl why Tsunade kept on drinking her heart out every now and then, and Shizune would explain to her about their Master's terrible and heartbreaking past.

Most of the times, Tsunade would spend the whole night locked up on her room with Shizune, weeping and seething about her tragic past. Shizune would sit there, pouring alcohol on her cup while Tsunade relayed the story of her life part by part.

Tsunade was once a princess of a faraway land that she dared not name even while in her drunken stupor. She was the only daughter of the king and Queen, when she turned eighteen; she was more than ready to rule. However, to be able to take the place of her father on the throne, she would have to marry. Although she was not in favor of that regulation, she had agreed and in no time, is already preparing for her wedding. Everything went in such a blur, and before Tsunade knew it, she was falling hard for the man who, during that time, was already her husband. She loved him so much, too much, that when her husband told her to put things on her parent's food, she did it without question. It was too late when the truth had shown itself and had slapped her right in the face. The 'things' her husband made her supply her parents everyday were poisons that degrade a person's sense of judgment and ability to perceive matters, and eventually kills brain cells. The former King and Queen went into a coma, and Tsunade confronted her husband. There, she learned that her husband had originally intended to steal the throne from them, but had resorted to doing things the easier way by marrying her instead and making her fall in-love with him to make her do his bidding.

Months passed by and the kingdom had completely fallen in the hands of a ruthless ruler. By that time, Tsunade's mother and father had already died. Not being able to take the heartbreak her husband had given her, and the pain she felt whenever she would see her people suffer, she ran away and never came back. According to Shizune, she had never heard of her past kingdom after that, and has tried not to by secluding herself and studying medicine, healing, and witchcraft. A year after running and came across a fourteen year old Shizune whose parents had been killed. She took her in, and after 5 years, took another little girl seven years of age, who is left abandoned in the middle of a raging war in small town outside the Land of Whirlpool. That little girl was her.

Tsunade held out her right hand in front of Sakura's face. Sakura looked curiously at the little box and then to her Master, repeating the process for three times before her Master decided to break the silence, "Well, what are you still doing? Open it, Sakura!"

Holding out a hesitant hand, Sakura took the small box from Tsunade's hand and carefully examined it, turning the box upside-down, she noticed that it has a carved circle underneath it. Satisfied with her observation, she turned the box upright again, took a little glance at her Master, and gently lifted the lid off.

She gasped, and her mouth dropped to form an 'o' at what she saw.

The box contained a necklace, it was made of silver, it gleamed as a stray ray of sunlight hit it. The pendant was what was really magnificent; it was circular, and decorated with three, pink colored flowers of a cherry blossom. At the middle of each flower was a sparkling, green crystal. She looked at Tsunade once more; she was still smiling at her, eyes gleaming with thrill and excitement.

"Where did you get this, Master?" She asked, curiosity and disbelief dancing on her green eyes.

Tsunade scrunched her brow; the smile disappeared on her lips and her expression became that of a confused one, "How did _I _get it? I'm supposed to be the one asking you that question. It's yours!"

Now it was Sakura's turn to be confused, "Mine?"

Tsunade nodded and took a long gulp at her alcohol, then wiped her mouth with the back of her right hand. "It was with you when Shizune and I found you fiven years ago."

_What?_ "But why have you never told me about this, Master?"

Her Master just gave her a little shrug, "I guess I forgot."

Sakura gave her an incredulous look. Tsunade took another gulp, "Maybe it was left to you by your parents before they died in the war as a reminder of them when you grow up."

Sakura nodded. She never knew her parents, but she looked up at Tsunade as both a Master and a mother.

"Anyways, it's yours. Keep it." She rested her back on her seat.

"Is there anything else you wish to tell me?" She inquired, to confirm whether she should leave her Master alone now. Tsunade shook her head and signaled for her to leave. She stood up and avoided the scattered books in order to not trip. She headed for the door and opened it, and before closing it, she heard her Master yell:

"We're going to have visitors!"

* * *

_**Well, here goes Chapter two. I figured that I should write a background story for Tsunade and how Sakura became her student. **_

_**I'll be doing a double update. I wrote this today, and I'm still writing the next chapter, hopefully I will be able to finish it this afternoon (It's 12 noon here).**_

_**Give it reviews, yeah?**_

_**-Mina**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Witch

**Chapter 3: The Witch**

Kisame managed to squeeze his way in between a male and a female who are both in the middle of sharing a heated kiss. He hated whorehouses. He hated the crowd, the heat which almost felt like it was coming directly from the sun when it was the middle of the night, the creaking and moaning noises, that God-awful smell of sex and come in the air, and the fact that Hidan _loved_ to spend more than a quarter of his day staying in this cursed place.

_'Straight ahead, then turn right, turn left and then room with a blue door…"_ He repeated the instructions of the owner. Everyone here seemed to know Hidan well. Given that he is a regular costumer, the owner seemed to have known him not only because he is one of the Royal Knights but also because of his peculiar attitude.

The loud-mouthed, white haired man who swears triple times more than the number of breath he takes is quite a special man. Each one of the Royal Knights is a special… _Creature_, but Hidan is one of those who stood out the most.

His mind went back to the time he had come in the doors of this place…

* * *

When he entered the establishment, a voluptuous woman in her mid-twenties immediately approached hm. She was wearing

_**very**__ provocative clothing, revealing almost everything and leaving nothing for the imagination. She came up to him automatically, as if this had happened before, that a lonely man came stepping in, looking for a night of company from the opposite sex, and departing after it in the morning after leaving her the proper amount of money for the 'performance' she had done last the previous night._

_He sighed; he will never be able to find a suitable and respectable wife who would bear his children and take care of him. He is a man, old and lonely; he wanted someone who would keep him company without the use of money, someone to whom he would come home to after a tiring day, or someone he could promise to return to safely before heading out for a war. Someone he could make a family and live happily with…_

_The whore rubbed her body on his armored one. _

_He sighed again; he doubted he could have that kind of relationship with a woman. No female who is in her right condition of mind would want to marry a man who has one of the most frightening and terrifying smiles, blue skin, and the most troubling thing of all, a man who resembled a shark._

"_Do you want company, Lord Kisame? I am perfectly available at this moment." The woman tried to persuade him. He would admit that this is not the first time he had set foot here, most of the times, he would come here to fetch Hidan for training or for a request from the King, but then there are the __**other**__ times where he would come here, with much persuasion from Hidan to go 'try one of the girls', as how he would put it._

_He regretted everything when morning came._

_He seemed filthy and his pride felt degraded. He was a Lord, what was he doing in a place like this?_

_Lightly removing the woman from him, he shook his head, "I am looking for Lord Hidan, have you seen him? He is a tall man with white hair and purple eyes, and he speaks dirty words and uses bad language very often." _

_The woman seemed disappointed, and after listening to his description of the other knight, she seemed to know the reason of his existence in the whorehouse. _

"_I did see him, My Lord. He came here a little over an hour ago; he took Madelleine and Miriam with him into one of the special rooms." She explained in an upset tone. She did not bother to stop her eyes from scanning Kisame's body, stopping at his crotch. He shook his head inwardly at her act._

"_Is that so? Thank you for the information…" He purposely trailed off._

"_Elizabetha." She filled in for him with obvious happiness. _

"_Elizabetha. A beautiful name for such beauty, too. Will you do me a favor and call the owner of this place? I will take it as a debt to you if you do." He took her left hand and leaned into it, placing a gentle kiss, no matter who or what people see her as, a woman deserved to be treated like one. The woman seemed taken aback, probably not used to being shown such gentleness because of her standing on the society._

"_Y-yes, of course, my Lord! It will be a pleasure!" She stuttered, he released her hand and she turned around, morphing into the sea of people swarming the lounge area._

_A moment was all it took for her to bring the owner of this brothel to him. _

_To his surprise, it was young woman in her early times of the second decade years._

_The young woman with dark brown locks and red eyes smiled up at him, "What can I do for you, My Lord?"_

_Kisame stopped examining her, "I would like to know where Lord Hidan is, Madam."_

_At the sound of Hidan's name, the young woman smiled, "Ah, Lord Hidan, of course! I knew someone would come looking for him. Please follow the directions I will be telling you, Lord Kisame…"_

* * *

He stopped in front of a blue door. He was in front of the correct room, that he was sure of.

A string of colorful and quite filthy words was heard behind the door, as well as loud giggles, moans, and the creaking of the poor bed they chose to use. This is _definitely_ the correct room.

Kisame knocked a few times, the noises just continued. He knocked once more, there was still no response.

He took a generous amount of air. He would have to do it, Hidan needed discontinue his… Acts later on, after they come back from their mission.

He took a step backward, and with all of his inhuman strength, kicked the unfortunate, blue door with all his might. The door was into pieces, the parts that are still attached to the hinges flew open, and some parts became fragments flying into the air.

The room was particularly a small one; just enough to allow two people to have enough space. There was a bed parallel to the door, and occupying the bed was a naked, red-haired girl and atop her was Hidan in a similar state. From their position, he could tell that they were still— joined.

"What the fuck!" Hidan yelled out, "Get your blue arse out of here, Fishman!"

Kisame only chuckled, it was not exactly the first time he had seen Hidan in this 'position'. He threw the red-haired girl a small glance, by now, her face was the same color as her hair from embarrassment.

"What the fuck are you giggling at? Get the fuck out!" He shouted at him again. This time, Kisame's face straightened and he spoke with all seriousness he could, though given the situation.

He cleared his throat first, "The King had given us on a mission."

Upon hearing his tone, Hidan got up and started picking up his clothes, "Are you fucking serious? In the middle of my 'happy time'? That king is fucking insane…"

Kisame watched as the girl attempted to make herself look decent in front of him by pulling up the blankets and covering herself. Hidan was done dressing, and was only putting his armor back when he spoke, "The youngest prince is currently struggling against death. The King had ordered us to bring a rumored Doctor-witch who can heal any kinds of disease to heal Prince Sasuke. Are you not even the slightest worried of the current predicament the Prince is in?"

Hidan gave a snort in response. A moment after and the two was heading out of the brothel. Outside, two white horses were being attended to and were waiting for them. Hidan turned to him, seeming to ask for any explanation as to why his belongings are being carried by the other white horse. Kisame only grinned, "I thought I should get your things ready before heading here so we can be on our way immediately afterwards."

Hidan's face contorted in disbelief, "What? I haven't even taken a bath yet! I just had sex, Kisame! I'm will smell!"

Kisame shrugged both shoulders, "We can stop by an inn somewhere along the way. We really have to go for now, though. I doubt the King would be pleased when he finds out we are still here."

They both got onto their respective horses and made their way outside the periphery of town.

* * *

Sakura had been keeping herself busy on the basement for almost an hour since she had a talk with her Master. She wore the necklace on her neck now, she figured that there will be no use in hiding it anymore since it had been given, or was originally hers.

She stared at the pot of boiling water and herbs. The bubbling water had turned green, the smoke it gave off turned red upon touching the ceiling. She took in a large breath and slowly pushed it out of her lungs. She stripped off of her clothes, folding them and setting them aside on the table.

A fireplace sat near her, ready and lit with the blazing orange flame. She reached out to her right and retrieved a basket of dried mint and laurel leaves. She fisted a handful of them, the dried leaves producing a soft, crunchy noise, then held out her hands and tossed the mint and laurel to the fire to be engulfed.

She set the basket down afterwards and raised her hands above her head, closed her eyes, imagined a white ball of light on her breastbone and chanted:

_**"Om tara tut tara ture swaha…"**_

Slowly bringing her hands downward, she reached again for the basket that sat beside her. Still with eyes closed, she folded her hands to get a generous amount of dried leaves, and tossed them on the fire.

Bringing her hands above her head again, she spoke in a calm and even voice:

_**"By the earth that is her body,**_

_** By the air that is her breath,**_

_** By the fire of her spirit,**_

_** By the waters of her womb,**_

_** As above, so below,**_

_** The soul is made whole."**_

Sakura took a deep breath. Pulling air in, and pushing it out. She slowly opened her eyes. She stood up and went to the table to pick a small vial labeled 'chamomile oil'. She went back into her sitting place and gently removed the lid off., then poured a little amount to her palm. She set the bottle down, and dipped her free hands index finger to the oil in her palm. She brought it to the pulse point on her neck and started rubbing it in slowly, the warm ad sticky feeling of the oil numbing her pulses into a calm and even beat. After that, she repeated the process, this time applying oil on her other hands wrist. She repeated it again, applying the oil on all of her pulse points. Once done, she reached for the basket and threw a handful of leaves on the fire again as she closed her eyes.

She chanted once more, the words spilling her mouth like an old song she had known and memorized by heart.

_**"Elements of the sun,**_

_**Elements of the day,**_

_**Come this way,**_

_**Powers of night and day,**_

_**I summon thee,**_

_**To protect me,**_

_**So shall it be…"**_

With the last four words, the flame on the fireplace she sat in front of turned into a pure white hue, blazing up and raging like an angry soul seeking vengeance.

She opened her eyes once more. The cleansing and protecting ritual is finished; a smile crept on the corners of her mouth as she began to dress herself again. She was in the middle of putting back her corset when a loud series of knocks echoed through the silent house and into the basement.

Muffled noises of voices could be heard. She tidied the place quickly after dressing as the knocks didn't stop. Making it apparent that whoever they were, they are not planning to leave until she opened the door.

Quickening her pace, she ran up the wooden stairs, the boards squeaking underneath her shoes as she reached for the door.

Upon opening it, she was greeted by two, large bodies, both obviously males. They both stood speechless for a moment before the blue-skinned man spoke up, "Are you the resident of this house?"

She looked up at the tall man and nodded her head twice, "Yes, Mister. Is there a problem? May I help you with anything?"

The other male beside him scratched his head in an irritated manner, "The hell took you so long?"

* * *

YAAYYY! CLIFFHANGER! Hahaha!

_**I would like to thank you guys for your reviews. The previous chapter I uploaded only got three :'(**_

_**Come on guys! You know better than leaving only three reviews! If you want me to continue this, then I suggest you keep on reviewing even if you're a guest .**_

_**I mean- seriously… 56 views and only 3 reviews?**_

_**You have got to be kidding me….**_


	4. Chapter 4: The Replacement

**Chapter 4: The Replacement**

* * *

Sakura gaped dumbfounded at the white-haired man, both curious and astonished at how he had talked to her. The blue man seemed to be used to the kind of reaction she had and proceeded to clear his throat to bring her thoughts back.

"Please do forgive his crude behavior, miss. It has something to do with his religion, you see." The fish-like man explained. The white-haired man gave him a glare before he turned to her to let his eyes wander up and then down, then doing it again. After his silent assessment of her, he turned to the taller man beside him and gave him a doubtful look, "Are you certain it is her, Kisame?"

She felt uncomfortable with the presence of both men, and they talked to her as if she was an imaginary creature that came to life.

"Excuse me Sirs, might I inquire who exactly are you both looking for at this time of the night?" She spoke, exercising politeness on her tone albeit the rough conduct that the white-haired man had shown her a little while ago. It was seven in the evening, and if they weren't polite and well-dressed thieves, then she had not a clue as to what they may need.

Both men turned to her, the larger and blue one gave her a small smile in as a gesture of returning her politeness, "We are looking for a Doctor-witch, the rumored one who can heal all classes of disease. Would that person happen to be you?"

She smiled back and shook her head. 'So that was why'.

The blue man looked disappointed, "Is that so? Maybe we went to the wrong place. Or maybe the rumor wasn't true." He sighed, "What a shame."

They both turned around to leave, the blue creature leading the white-haired, foul-mouthed man. She smiled and spoke again:

"I did say I was not the one you were looking for. But I did not say she was not here." Sakura's smile widened and she stepped aside waving her hand in the direction of the stairs, which was situated in front of the door, leading up to the second floor where her Master's room is located. "I believe it is my Master you are looking for."

The white-haired man huffed and took the initiative to step inside, "I told you she was not the old hag we were looking for."

The other man seemed happy, and did not make a move to enter, but still replied with all somberness, "Do not insult the healer, Hidan."

Sakura gave a small laugh and an accompanying nod, 'So 'Hidan' is the name.'

"He is right, Mister. Master does not like it when she is being called names, and she also does not like being disrespected. I suggest you practice reverence, or you will be one of the countless witnesses who have had the chance to behold her unimaginable power." She explained in a serious tone, lately, they have been running low on money because of Tsunade's debts with her gambling mates, and also because house repair is slowly increasing its fraction on their necessity list. She could not afford to have another wall or ceiling broken.

The man, Hidan, only gave her an ungraceful snort and crossed his arms in front of his chest as a response. The man was arrogant; she figured that they were either nobles, or exceptional knights.

Speaking of which, she had forgotten to ask for both of their names. It struck her odd, since they were complete strangers and yet she was asking them to enter her home. She turned to the other man, who is obviously more refined and polite, and decided to ask for their identities. "Might I know your names and your reasons for being here, Mister?" She slowly but courteously asked.

Said man seemed astonished with realizing the fact she, herself had only come to apprehend. He grinned broadly, "Forgive us for forgetting our manners," he said as he turned to his companion as if trying to say 'even-if-he-has-none', before he continued, "I am Hoshigaki Kisame, and my friend over here is Lord Hidan who is from the Land of Hot Water. We were sent here by the King by Royal decree to bring your Master to the palace in order to examine and, hopefully, formulate a cure to the Second Prince's sickness."

Sakura nodded. She was right, they are nobles. Lord Hidan is the only child of the Grand Duke and Duchess of the Land of Hot Water. And Lord Kisame is the only living Hoshigaki, a high-rank family that originated from the Land of Mist. And these two, she knew, are members of the King's prized Royal Knights. Through years of nomad-living, Sakura had come to learn various things about noble families, and now, she has two in front of her, asking for help because the Prince is sick.

"I am Sakura; I am the apprentice of the person you are in quest of for." She smiled warmly, eyeing the Royal emblem of the knights that was engraved on the armor of Lord Hoshigaki, confirming the fact that he had just stated and proving that they came with peace and did not intend them any harm.

Still, a tiny hint of a skeptical feeling on the pit of her stomach had resided. Only hopeless people come to them, those people whose loved one is in danger of immediate or almost nearing death. A mother who would lose her newborn child to a particularly strong disease or a father who would lose his only princess if not treated fast, were typically the ones who would find them. The rumors of them being evil, cannibalistic witches who eat people alive when hungry or if not, torture them to death, dismember them, cook them, and then eat them just for the fun of it, was the reason why despite their medical prowess, they were not the most preferred doctor in town.

It only meant that the prince's life is at risk, for the King to send two of his precious knights to fetch her Master and ask for her assistance in his family's dilemma. She was curious as to what kind of ailment the Prince has, for a Royal never gets ill.

A King, when appointed, is supposed to take an oath and accept the blessing of the heavens. By doing so, anyone in his family, and all those who would be a future addition, would be susceptible to aging, illnesses, and any other things that come with the passing of time. Their age is retained as it is during the time when the King had taken the blessing, and they have very fast recuperative abilities from wounds. It is indeed a wonder how the Prince became ill, whatever the disease is, she was sure it was something that would be hard to get rid off and that it would require much efficiency and knowledge such as what her Master possesses.

She could see her Master's face in her imagination, how glad she would be of the amount of compensation she would be able to gain for healing the Prince. All the money she could use to buy her alcohol that would be enough to supply her throughout her whole life, and the remaining which she would definitely use in gambling and living in riches.

Sakura gestured for Lord Hoshigaki to enter, which he did, then proceeded to put down the enormous thing that was strapped on his back. He turned to look at his partner and gave him a look; they stared at each other for a while before Hidan he also grumpily took off the huge item that was covered with cloth and attached on a strap of leather holder.

After watching both men with unhindered amusement spread on her pretty, pale face, she turned towards the long flight of stairs and gained both of their attentions by clearing her throat and speaking, "If you wish to see my Master, then please follow me."

She turned around and led them up, walking with grace and poise as she ascended the staircase, them following behind her.

There was silence, but it made the fact that one of them, the white-haired man namely, does not appreciate peaceful quiet very much. He spoke in an annoyed manner, "So what does your Master look like? Could she really heal anything? How old is she? How did you people end up being in the Land of Fire? Wha-"

He was cut off when Sakura halted on her steps. She did not turn around, and remained facing the top of the stairs when she spoke, calmly and deliberate, but with a detectable alarming wariness and warning, "Lord Hidan," She began, "If you do not wish to lose your head, please refrain from asking too much questions, _especially_ those concerning my Master's history, appearance, and age; particularly about her age. She is not very fond of it."

"Alright, we will try to keep that in mind, Miss Sakura. Please forgive us of our ignorance." Lord Hoshigaki replied for the sake of ending the conversation and saving his albino friend from what trouble might arise lest he disagreed or decided to argue with her further. She gave a curt nod and continued to climb the remaining few steps that led to a higher floor. She understood him for being very courteous, an intelligent knight knew better than to enrage a witch. From what she had observed, this man is very cautious of his actions and words. Either he knew well of what witches can do, have witnessed their power, or have experienced it firsthand.

They came into the end of the stairs, she fisted her beige dress with her right hand, and prayed to the Gods that the meeting will end peacefully, without anyone having anything broken or missing in them, and without having broken or crumbled walls, ceilings, or floors.

She walked to the right and stopped at the third door, the mahogany door was closed. Normally, during this hour, either Tsunade would be asleep or still drinking, or she wished she has not drunk anything more. It will shorten her temper even more, and the two men seemed intent on bringing her to the palace.

She knocked thrice before a loud noise came from behind the doors that beckoned them to enter. She did not know what surprised her more, the urgency, excitement, and happiness on Tsunade's voice, or the fact that she was not intoxicated when they entered.

She was sitting still on her wooden chair, looking at them, at her, then at the men that followed at her back. Tsunade assessed them, and seemed to know what they came here for. She put both of her arms' elbows above the, surprisingly, now clean desk, entwined her fingers, and rested her chin in it. Then she spoke with all sternness Sakura recalled she had only seen back during the times when she had still been training her. "Spare me the pleasantries and explanation, I already am aware of your existence here."

All three people in front of Tsunade furrowed their brows, Sakura voiced their thoughts, "You do? But how, Master?"

Tsunade just gave her a smirk and looked and gave her a 'how-could-you-not-know?' look from under her lashes before answering, "Sakura, we are witches. Does Divination sound familiar to you?"

Sakura colored in embarrassment. How could she have forgotten?

Just when she did not know what to say, the foul-mouthed knight spoke out, "WAIT! Do not tell me you are the rumored Doctor-witch! You can't be!"

Tsunade frowned. Sakura became instantly worried. She wanted so bad to smack the head of the albino Lord upside down. What if he tells her stupid things? Already, she was feeling ill with the man.

"And why is that?" Was Tsunade's response.

Sakura immediately stopped anymore further conversations that will eventually lead them to hell. "Master, you need not to answer Lord Hidan's statement! They came here only to bring you to the palace to cure the Prince of his malady!"

Tsunade raised one of her blonde brows, "I know that Sakura."

There was a tense silence before her Master sighed, "I will not be coming."

Three seconds of complete and thick silence.

3… 2… 1…

All mouths gaped besides Tsunade's.

"P-pardon?" Was all that Lord Hoshigaki could say, even Lord Hidan was speechless by her rejection.

She only shrugged. "You heard me."

Sakura could not believe, her Master throwing away a once in a lifetime chance to have all the money she had ever wanted to have, was just too impossible to believe. "But- why, Master? They need you. The Second prince needs you! Why are you not going to come?"

Tsunade looked at her, then at the two men, and then back at her again. "I said I will not be coming, not that I will not give help."

Sakura blinked. _What?_

Now she is really confused.

Before she could come up with any other ideas of how her Master, planned to 'help' the Prince, she spoke again, "You will take my place, Sakura. You will be the one to come in the palace."

If it were possible for Sakura to gape even more, she could have. "B-but— why me? Why would you send me instead? Why not send for Shizune?"

Tsunade shook her head, "If there is anyone who knows as much as I do, and who can heal as much as I could, it is not Shizune but you, Sakura. You will come with them. Now prepare for your departure."

Kisame interjected, even though Tsunade's tone and declaration held finality, "Are you sure of this? Can she really cure what has never been cured by anyone else before?"

Her Master just gave a nod, "I am very positive, she could. Although you do not know me, my Lord, I assure you that you can trust my judgment."

Lord Hoshigaki straightened his face, "You know well that if she was not able to, and that if the Prince dies, that the punishment will be Death, do you not?"

Tsunade nodded again, "I am willing to risk my life with my student's medical prowess."

The Lord did not say more. Tsunade dismissed them all and she asked for the two men to wait for her as she packed all the things she might need, herbs, medicinal roots, magic powders, a square cloth with a pentacle drawn in it, some jasmine, lavender, chamomile, and rose oil, preserved roots of Narra and Acacia trees, and some clothes. Lord Kisame reminded her that her stay may be extended, depending on the King's wishes.

When she was done, she bid her Master farewell, and she, along with the two Lords, set out for travel into the night…

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You guys know the drill! Review and I shall update all the more soon!

_**-Mina**_


	5. Chapter 5: The Arrival

**Chapter 5: The Arrival**

Madara blinked and strained his eyes to make sure he was not hallucinating. It was very late and he was rather tired from what the day's work and stress had given him. It was not impossible for him to start having delusions from too much exhaustion. He did expect it to happen sometime; however, he did not expect it to appear like this. It was so- realistic. The coldness, the sounds, the wetness, and the ambiance- everything seemed real!

He was staring outside the window of the throne room, from where he was seated; he could make out little drops of water falling from the sky.

It was raining.

And it never rains on the Land of Fire.

And rain was a bad foreboding; it symbolized bad luck, death, war, or plague. He wished very badly that it was all just his imagination. Yet when he looked at the terrified and stunned faces of the members of the Royal Knights standing on his sides, he was disappointed to realize that it was the reality. It was indeed raining.

He sighed, and just when he thought he could have no more problems for tonight. Itachi bent over him and whispered, "Could this mean death?"

Madara frowned, knowing what his nephew meant and, although no one could see it, worried over. He whispered back in a rasped voice, "Let us hope not."

Itachi nodded, but he knew the poor boy was still worrying over his little brother's condition. He, himself, still is. And he was not entirely sure, and not even hopeful, that the Witch-doctor they have called for would be able to cure his nephew. He could not imagine what grief Itachi would feel if he died. The boy had been struggling for his life for almost a week now; he was in very poor state. He looked deathly pale and overly malnourished due to lack of nutrition. His eyes looked almost like hollows because of the dark circles that became very distinct because of his lack of sleep. He wished deeply that Sasuke will heal, that the Witch-doctor can bring him back to his healthy state. He loved his family dearly, and he knew well how it felt to lose someone very dear, he almost lost his younger brother back before he was the King, when his father and mother had died. He did not want anyone in his family to experience such excruciating pain, it was too much to bear, and he almost lost his sanity, had his brother not been saved by the former King's doctor. He knew how much strength death held, its ability to cause hurt, destruction, and violence, and its ultimate power to take away any and everything a person has.

Zetsu shifted from leaning in the wall and gave him a small glance before looking back outside the window before speaking, "Do you think they have found the Witch?"

All of them looked at him. It was rare for him to be the ice-breaker, he did not speak very often, and if he did it would, more or less, consist only of a few sentences. Unless he was reporting, he wouldn't speak much.

Next to him was a crouching Deidara, he shook his head and frowned, "I highly doubt it. And I don't trust them, from what I have heard, the Doctor-witch and her comrades who lived in the dark parts of the forest were man-eaters. They eat human flesh, like you," He glanced up at Zetsu, "They torture them, rip them apart, and then eat them. Raw."

Zetsu raised a brow, "Excuse you. I do not torture people; I do not play with my food. And you know well that I rarely eat human flesh." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, "And where have you heard these things from? Was it from the old ladies at the market? The whores at the brothel? Or did you hear them from the maids?" He shook his head, "You know that rumors are most often not true, Deidara."

From the other side, Kakuzu had decided to speak, "Are you saying that this 'Witch' will be a beautiful, young maiden who knows how to use White Magic? You know very well that white witches do not exist anymore."

"And how would you know, Kakuzu?" That was the only female of the group, Konan.

"I don't. I just know that I have never happened to encountered one and that the Wiccan witches had been extinguished a long, long, time ago by the Norfolk Council of Witches in favor of Black Magic users." Was his very informative reply.

Itachi shook his head and spoke with all hope. "Whatever kind of witch he or she is, as long as he or she can heal Sasuke, then everything will be alright."

Madara nodded, giving what support he could to his nephew, "Itachi is right. I know enough destructive magic to counter and kill the witch if he or she tries to do anything harmful."

There was complete and utterly uncomfortable silence that followed after his statement.

It was broken when Sasori entered the room, panting and sweating despite the cold weather. He crouched, putting his arms in his knees, and first took a moment to catch his breath, before he looked up at Madara and spoke.

"They have arrived."

**~XX~**

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Sakura was currently walking alongside Lord Hoshigaki and Lord Hidan who were both escorting her to the throne room to meet the King. The trip to the palace took more or less two hours and on the way, both had warned her about the 'dos and don'ts' when she faces the King. They looked so serious that she was nearly afraid that the King might eat her alive if he did not like her. She shuddered back then.

'_And they say that we were the ones who eat people alive.'_ She thought.

Her eyes wandered around the hallway. It was lit with pretty chandeliers that hung above the high ceiling, the carpet was a rich, crimson, and the walls were decorated with intricate carvings that screamed old age, elegance, and skills. They passed by a lot of paintings a while ago. Some are renowned works of a known painter who hides behind the name 'Sai'. They turned and entered another long hallway. She looked at the walls, there were paintings again, but this time, by how they looked and how they were dressed like, she could guess that they were the former Kings. They kept walking and came across the last painting. It was huge, like most others, and was framed in gold with complicated designs. However, it was not the grandness of the frame nor the carvings engraved at it that caught her attention.

It was the painting of the man, itself.

He was sitting cross-legged on a red and gold chair, his back leant, his head cocked to one side and resting on the back of his hand, which was put above the arm of the chair, his long black hair that fell on spiky strands rested behind his back. Some piece fell in front and rested elegantly on his chest, and he was staring in front. His crimson eyes, though very pretty, looked sad and empty, and to anyone who would look, the man in the painting would seem to bore holes right through your very soul.

The man was just so beautiful, that Sakura had a hard time taking her eyes off of the painting. She only brought back to her senses when Lord Kisame's chuckle resounded on the halls. She abruptly tore her eyes away and blushed.

When she looked up at the still chuckling man, he was grinning down at her, "Isn't he beautiful? That is the King, Miss Sakura. And if you were not able to take your eyes off of a painting then you sure will have a bad time doing so with the real person."

Hidan snorted, a gesture that was slowly becoming a habit to the man, "If you stare at him too much, he might just send you out. You better pay attention to him, and, once again, do NOT look directly into his eyes." He stated, reminding her of one of the things he had taught her not to do. According to him, any member of the King's family possesses a special kind of eye called the 'Sharingan'. It can entrance and daze anyone except for males, so he advised her not to look directly into his, or any members of his family's, eyes.

She just nodded her head. They stopped walking in front of a huge, red, double door. She briefly thought that she had been seeing too much red for today.

Lord Hoshigaki opened the doors and she was greeted with a well-lit, red-carpeted room. Everything in the room except for the hanging decorative mantles, glass things, and the throne itself were made of porcelain. There were few people who were dressed in black and wore silver and red armor.

Red. Again. Seriously?

They walked towards the throne and she tried her best to hide her eyes, which she knew looked much like she was hiding half of her face, behind the head covering of her cloak in order to not see the 'eyes'. Lord Kisame and Lord Hidan both bowed, she did the same thing and they had remained in place while Lord Kisame spoke, "My King, here is the Doctor-witch. However, she is not the original one that we were supposed to bring. This witch is her apprentice; the Master chose to stay back and sent for her instead."

She felt the man sitting on the throne shift, and her heart pounded loudly on her chest. Although she did not show it, she was nervous to death, especially when the King spoke in his rich, deep, and smooth voice, "Can this witch heal my nephew?"

Lord Kisame's reply came, "Her Master had assured us that she is of equal skill as her, and that there is no one else who is more fitting to do the work than her apprentice."

The King shifted again, and Sakura chest tightened and she almost stopped breathing at what he had said next. "Show me your face, witch."

The room fell silent. No one dared speak, no one moved, and it even sounded like no one breathed. Sakura was not sure of what they had expected, probably the kind of folklore witches everyone heard about during their childhood days. She was not surprised; after all, witches of her kind had been killed years and years ago. She was having uncertainty as to whether she really should pull her hood down. She was not afraid to show her face, but she was very afraid that she might catch a glimpse of those dazing red eyes. She weighed her options, and in the end, decided that it was best to not deny the King of his request. She might end up dead in a matter of seconds if she did so.

She lifted her brown-gloved hands slowly, deliberately bringing them up to the sides of her cloak, closed her eyes, and carefully pulled it down, revealing her face and letting her long, pink locks fall down on her back, the ends resting on her waist. She opened her eyes, revealing her bright jade irises that immediately adjusted to the bright light. Some pieces of her long bangs fell limply in front of her face. She was tempted to brush it away, but made no move in doing so because of the still present fear on the bottom of her stomach. She returned her hands on her sides, afterwards.

She heard small, masculine gasps, small 'Ooh's', and a manly voice that said, "You were right, Zetsu." She didn't look, to find out who it was, and just kept her head bowed.

It was a long while before the King had spoken again,"What is your name, young lady?"

She almost raised her brow, _'Oh, so it is 'young lady' now, huh?'_

"Sakura, your Majesty." She bowed her head even more.

Unaware of it, the men present inside the room all had their jaws slacked, with the exception of Lord Hoshigaki and Lord Hidan. Even the King could not believe his eyes; he was still comparing the beauty in front of him to the witch he has imagined in his mind. Sakura felt him shift yet again and spoke the words she had feared, "Look at me."

She froze and literally stopped breathing. But still raised her head to look at the King in the eyes, when she did so, she was relieved that they were not crimson in color but rather deep, deep, pools of stark black. She was glad she was not dazed by his eyes, but there was another problem, though. She was now dazed with all of his beauty. Her eyes widened for a moment before Lord Kisame cleared his throat and faked a cough. The man knew what to do; she would have to thank him later.

If she thought the painting back at the hallway was gorgeous, the man sitting on his throne, steps of stairs above her was just purely breath-taking. She swallowed hard and with all the she could muster, continued to look at the Kings eye. She chose to pick a spot on his face, the place between his thin but masculine brows, to stare at and make it appear as if she was staring at his eyes.

"My King?" She had said when there came nothing.

The King just blinked and nodded, "Can you heal my nephew, Miss Sakura?"

She nodded without taking her eyes off of him. "I surely can. But if you want me to do that, then I shall have to see him."

The King nodded, "Yes, of course. Itachi" he looked at the man who stood beside him, "accompany Miss Sakura to your brother's quarters."

The man nodded. _'So he is the brother.'_

He was also equally gorgeous as his uncle. His long, straight hair which was tied back looked silky. His eyes were as dark and empty, too, except his held a hint of worry. He was lean and toned, for what she could see beneath the black pants and white, ruffled shirt. And she found herself dazed by the beauty again. She did not even notice him descend the steps of the throne flat form and come in front of her. She was only brought back by his deep and rumbling voice. "Is something the matter, Miss Sakura?"

As soon as she realized that she had been gaping wide-eyed at him, she shook her head, "Nothing is wrong. Please take me to your brother, your Highness, so that I may asses his condition."

He nodded and walked past her, "Please follow me."

**~XX~**

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She was led to another hallway by the crowned Prince. It was different, though. It was dark, and empty. No chandeliers were lit on, and the only means of lighting is the faint glow of the full moon that passed though the large windows on her left.

As if he read her thoughts the older Prince spoke from in front of her, "I'm sorry for the darkness. My brother is in very poor condition and has troubles sleeping with the lights on so we removed the lighting. I hope you are alright with that."

She smiled even though she knew that the prince would not be able to see it with what little light there is, "It is fine your Highness, however, I would need lights in order to have your brother examined properly."

"That is workable. There are candles on his room. Are candles fitting enough?" He asked.

She nodded, "Yes, they are."

He stopped walking and faced another one of those similar looking, double doors that she had passed by on the way to the throne room. He faced her as if he could see perfectly clear in the dark; she was a taken aback by the color of his eyes. It was not black anymore, but a glowing, piercing, red. "We are here."

She nodded and swallowed hard. He opened the door and let her come in first, him closing the door before following behind her.

She walked towards the only bed at the center of the huge room and gasped.

There, on the bed, lay sprawled a body that looked dead.

**~XX~**  
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_**I know... I know... Another Cliffhanger.** **I rushed it, I hope it didn't appeared rushed, but- eh. I'm late for college.**_

**_Anyway, I need you to review, ne? _**

**_I decided that I would update as soon as every new chapter reaches over 15 reviews. _****_That would be- twice a week. I think it's only fair becasue I have my own life and College is being quite a bitch. _**

**_So, there is your fifth chapter!_**

**_Review! :)_**

**_-Mina_**


	6. Chapter 6: The Sickness

**Chapter 6: The Sickness**

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**~XX~**

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Sasuke was awakened with a small, quiet, and, if his ears were still functioning properly, a quite feminine one. He thought it was his mother's, but according to what he could remember from what Itachi had told him, his mother was not to come back until next week from a journey to look for more doctors to be sent in the palace and check him up. It cannot be his mother's.

His assumption had been proven correct when the source of it spoke almost as if whispering, "What happened to him?"

Even though awake already, he had kept his eyes close and refused to make the slightest move to give away his consciousness. One: because there was a female, and his eyes were currently red with Sharingan, if she looked at them, she will become captivated because he could not turn it off at his current state, and two: because his head pounded very agonizingly with a throbbing pain that he could not muster up the strength to open his eyes.

He heard the shuffling of clothes that was soon followed by his older brother's voice, "It started six days ago, when he began coughing violently and uncontrollably. The next day, he had fever; and the next, he had been bed-ridden and could not move, and then after it, he had difficulty in eating. The day before you came here, yesterday, his body had rejected any kind of food or beverage."

He winced inwardly at the thick sound of pity and worry on his brother's voice; did he really look that pathetic? This was the very reason he had wanted to die already, but his brother would not let him. All of the people in the family did not let him and instead, had wanted him to keep living, to continue suffering even more as days of pure torture passed. There was another set of noise that indicated the shuffling of clothes, this time, it was accompanied by footsteps. The steps went nearer and nearer, and he figured in his mind that this was another one of those doctors who came in here to heal him. He mentally shook his head. He could imagine what the outcome of this meeting would be, her going home, his whole family disappointed as what had happened previously with the numerous others, and him, dying.

'_Another one of those failed attempts…'_ He bitterly thought.

He felt the shifting of the right side of his bed and figured that it was the female that had taken a seat on the edge. The smell was too womanly, sweet and fresh, like the smell of mint and grapefruit combined in one, and far from the spicy one of his brother. Nothing happened for a short moment, he felt the side of the bed shift again and a warm hand rested on his forehead. His throat was hurt and all dried up, but his Uchiha pride had still enabled him to make an indication of disapproval by the form a short, croaked, and rasped moan.

The doctor had gotten the message and had removed her hand, only for it to some back on another part of his body. He felt the gentle and warm hand rest atop his chest, probing and gently pushing downward, not to hurt but enough to let her feel his heartbeat clearly. He did not make any protest this time, knowing that it will both be futile and a real waste of energy, because knowing doctors, they would not listen even if you kick them right on the face, anyway. After a few moments, she lifted her hands and the bed shifted again.

"I will need the candles, your highness." Was what she said.

There was more shifting on the room, scuffling, clanking, shaking of what sounded like matches, rubbing of surfaces that he was not really sure of what particularly, and then the familiar and irritating somewhat orange color that appeared and illuminated behind the closed lids of his eyes. It was the light of the candles, and it did no good to him but add more sting he was already feeling on his eyes and at the back of it. The twisting and pounding ache intensified a notch, and he released a weak sound of both exasperation and hurt, he turned his head away from the lights, which was on his left, and his face came to meet with something balmy and soothing, it was a hand- the doctor's hand, cupping one side of his face, thumb moving continuously lazy on small left-to-right-and-back patterns on his cheek, occasionally grazing the corner of his mouth. It all momentarily made him forget about the soreness he was just feeling. Strangely, it felt right to him, her hands on his face oddly fitted, covering the hollows, planes, and depressions of his cheekbone, temple, and jaw. And through the influence of the irrational and spontaneous part of his brain, he leaned into the hand and purred faintly- _purred!_ - And Uchiha Sasuke never purrs. Never. Ever.

He reasoned that it was because of the illness, that it had finally gotten and affected his mental faculty, but inside- deep, deep, inside- he knew it had nothing to do with being sick, and the very thought plagued him so much, the amount of enchantment the female possessed and the way it held much power over him, that he had forced it at the back of his mind and had shut it off for the purpose of forgetting it. If this woman could really heal him, then he would thank her, but not- definitely not- fall in-love with her.

The hand disappeared, much to his disappointment, and it travelled down his neck, to his chest, and stopped at his abdomen. Had the situation been different, he might have thought the action was sensual, provocative, and enticing, but he was ill, and he looked like a pile of bones inside a piece of flesh called the skin, so he did not give it any wrong meaning. He would not have minded her touching him in any other places, privet or not, had she not said the next words.

"I need him naked." She spoke in a business-like manner, no hints of hesitation or shame could be traced, and she spoke like it was urgent, and needed it done quickly. There was a small pause, before he felt large hands, undoubtedly his brother's, lift him up into a sitting position, one hand on his back while the other tugged upwards at the hem of his dark shirt. He moaned in protest, not one of the doctors that have examined him have had to look at him naked! But it was cut off when he felt the familiar feeling of itch and pain on his throat that signaled the coming of a fit of cough. Indeed, it followed when he tried to swallow it away and impede it. He entered a spiral of succeeding moments of torment, coughing like there was no tomorrow and expelling blood and mucous while doing so. The various pains on his body grew, and he felt the large hands of Itachi trying to soothe him by running his hands up and down his back, by the time he had stopped coughing, he was left feeling weaker and even more worn out.

"Please stop trying to dispute against this, Sasuke. Moving too much will only wear you out, let the doctor take a look at you." Itachi spoke in a scolding manner to him. He hated it, he felt like a six year-old kid who got denied of having dessert, but if he wanted everything done quick; he would have to behave. He winced; the sound of the word 'behave' left a bad taste, even when thought on his mind. He gave a small nod and Itachi slid the shirt up and off of him. The coldness that greeted the now exposed skin made him shiver, but her remained quiet and waited for the doctor to do her work.

There was another shift and the bed showed signs of another occupant, after he felt it sank, he heard the female's light voice, "Please hold him like this, your highness."

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~XX~

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Sakura was dumbfounded the moment she saw the skinny and feeble-looking body on lying helplessly on the bed. It was no wonder they had been very urgent to request for the help of the supposed 'flesh-eating-witches'. They may as well have had made a deal with the devil just to heal the second Prince had they not found out about her Master. He looked so fragile, like a tiny piece of paper that could very easily be swayed and carried away by a small gush of wind. It made her feel pity towards the Prince, but she did not show it, knowing men, she was sure either him or his older brother would have liked it. She mentally shook her head at the thought. "_Men and their stupid pride."_

As soon as she took note of his heart rate and temperature, she had requested to have him out of his upper body clothing. He had protested at first, but when he had become wracked with a painful series of cough, he had concurred to the action. She was flabbergasted at the state of the Prince's health, his ribcage was clearly showing under the thin sheet of skin on his limbs, and he was so pale and weak, he could not even muster enough strength to speak properly. She may be a witch, but also is a doctor, and assessing him with a doctor's eye, she concluded that he is in the worse health a man who could not get sick could be in. All he could do was moan, grunt and rasp out sounds that served as hints of how he felt physically and emotionally.

She reached out a hand and asked somewhat dumbly for the Prince's permission, "May I?"

The Prince, though he chose to leave his eyes closed, gave her a delicately small nod; it almost looked like he did not do it at all. She put a hand over his chest again and searched gently on his ribs, feeling for a broken one, but when she found none, she let her hands wander on the surface of the elevated bones of his spine that had been made prominent by his thinness. She felt again for any indication of anything broken or out of place, but found none. She looked at the older brother and gestured for him to let his brother lie down again.

"That's strange," she started, "There is no indication of anything that might make him unwell of any illness according to the symptoms that you have told me."

She saw the first Prince narrow his eyes at her and grit his teeth before speaking, "You told us you can cure him of it." He stressed the word 'it', referring to the unknown disease.

She looked down at the ill one, if there was no sign of anything that could make him ill, it meant she does not know about the new illness. Maybe it was something from inside? Even so, she could have known based on his heart rate, temperature, and warning signs that he was ill with something.

Unless…

"Your Highness, would you mind letting me look at the rest of him?" She asked Prince Itachi rather pressingly. He nodded and took off the rest of his clothing, only leaving the undergarment that his younger brother wore. Without delay, she inspected every part of his front body, and seeing nothing, requested for him to be held in a different angle so she could inspect the back. She let her eyes roam carefully on his form before a discoloration on the left part of his back, just a little distance below his shoulder blades, had caught her eye.

She asked for them to wait while she removed herself from the bed and scurried over to where her bag of supplies were situated, she retrieved a tiny bottle of Narra tree roots preserved in early morning dew from clovers. She climbed back to where the two brothers were situated exactly as how she had left them and removed the bottle cork. She instructed politely to the older prince to let his brother be lain on his stomach, he followed her, softly situating his brother and angling him so that his back may now be fully exposed to her, but had still kept in mind to make his brother comfortable. He rested his brother's head on his lap while Sakura quickly went over to her work. She covered the small opening of the bottle with the pad of her index finger and turned it outside down, letting the padding of her finger be soaked with the liquid, before turning it upright again. She removed her finger and slowly brought it to the discoloration on the Prince's back, mildly rubbing a small circle over it, before raising it to reveal the discoloration.

They both eyed it, the first Prince giving her a small glance before staring at the small shiner. The thing had slowly moved, separating into four, different pieces of dots with different sizes, then it formed shapes as the four spots became clearer, it had adapted to a color as dark as the color of ink, and the outline of shapes became so clear, it appeared as if it had been painted on his skin.

There was a small dot in the middle, and three, comma-like designs called _tomoes _surrounded it. It appeared like the black dots that decorated the red eyes she had seen on the King's painting. And she gasped as realization had hit her quick. She looked up at the older brother of the Prince, who at that time had been staring intently at her. She narrowed her eyes and gave her an alarmed look.

"Your Highness," her voice sounded quieter than necessary; "I now know what is wrong with your brother."

He nodded, "Please do enlighten me about it."

She took a deep breath to release a sigh, "I am afraid he is not ill with any disease."

"Then what is wrong with him?" He sounded impatient, voice giving away a hint of fear.

Her gaze had turned serious and she briefly looked away as she returned the cork to the bottle's opening. Then she looked at him again and spoke; voice low and somber.

"He is cursed."

**~XX~**

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The process had been in a rush, after she had informed and elaborated about the Prince's state in front of his family, which by then had only consisted of his uncle and his older brother, and had requested for permission to have a place to hold a ritual in and the required 'ingredients' she would need to heal the Prince with white magic, she had swiftly prepared everything she would need for the forthcoming ceremony. At that time, she had shed off her cloak and gloves, leaving her on her brown corset and beige dress.

She checked the whole setting again. She was inside an empty, stone room which held only one window, parallel to the location of the door. Tonight was a full moon, and its light shone and lit up the almost bare room. It was technically empty, save for the long ritual table sitting on the middle, a complex drawing of the earth pentacle drawn at the head of it and the water pentacle at the other end; the two, unlit red candles that was positioned at the ground, aligned with both ends of the table; and the spices she will need to concoct the element she would need to spray the Prince with. The spices being a cup of sea salt, a tablespoon of sage, chamomile, and lavender oils, and a bit basin of water; all of which she had already infused and purified with a quick healing and fortifying spell. The Prince's curse was called 'The Venom of Medusa'. A curse in the form of a seal that will only be revealed upon contact with a hindering-lifting potion like the one she had used a little while ago. She had insisted that the exorcizing of the curse be done that night because of the intensity of the magic the curse held. It had been done by the use of black magic, and the curse, according to its definition, would kill any victim on the last night of a full moon where magic reaches its strength's height, which was that exact night. No wonder the Prince's health had declined to fast in just six days, the curse had been rushing its effect in order to meet its intended result.

The doors opened and revealed, what she could only conclude as the members of the Royal Knights based on their armors, the King, and the first Prince. Along with them were two soldiers who both carried the ill Prince on a stretcher. They came walked in and the soldiers set their Prince down on the ceremonial table, then quickly left as the King have dismissed them. They all turned to look at her when the soldiers disappeared, and gave her a look of anticipation. She shook her head and did not bother to smile, "I am sorry, but you cannot all be present while I perform the ritual. Only the family is allowed to witness it."

"That's a shame. I would really want to observe a real-life white witch perform a ritual. I believe you are more- humane in your ways. You don't have to sacrifice lives or blood to call forth magic, am I right?"A green-haired, golden-eye, pale man spoke from her left.

She looked at him and jade met honey, she nodded before she spoke, "Yes, my Lord. We white witches do not perform rituals that include the use of things that signify damnation, death, hell, and anything evil. Now, if you will all be so kind and please remain outside the room so I can start the process now."

Some gave her a shrug, Lord Hidan snorted, yet again, and Lord Kisame gave her a small smile, before nine of them left the room, making the King and his elder nephew the only ones left. She looked at them and politely asked, "I will need utter silence while executing the rite. May I ask for you to please act as if you are not a part of this room for as much as you can; your Majesty and Your Highness?"

They both nodded. And she started her ritual by lighting the two candles and adjusting the Prince's head to fit in the middle of the drawn earth pentacle. She uttered a small prayer while doing so, "I call upon the goddess, Ereshkigal. Spare the soul of this young man from his dying fate, and let Verdandi, Urd, and Skulld continue to spin his thread."

She repositioned his feet so that it spread enough to let the water pentacle be seen in between it and uttered again, "Goddess of Earth, Cybele, I ask for your assistance to complete this ritual and spell."

She then started to put all of the spices in the basin of water after it, and proceeded to recite a protection spell out loud for all of the people occupying the room and those outside it.

"I call Upon the Sacred Three;

To Save...To Shield...To Surround

The hearth...The House...The Household

This Night, each night, every Night!

So mote it be."

After she was done, she rose to her feet and faced the Prince, then activated the circle of magic and the effect of the pentacles on the ritual table, with all fervor, she chanted in a low, almost whispered voice.

"I conjure thee, O circle of power,

As thou encircle every Tower.

That thou beset a place of Truth, Joy and love,

Encircling Flight of Eagle, Hawk and Dove,

Mighty Aegis of the Lady and Lord,

Rampart of thought, action and word.

To Work in Peace, Powerful and Free,

Who walk between two worlds conjure thee;

A boundary to Protect, Concentrate and Contain,

That Power raised here be not in vain.

Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."

She slowly rounded the table in a shape of an invisible circle. When she got back to her previous position, she peppered the water potion for cleansing and intoned in a steady voice:

"What was done was done

Be it now undone

By the light of the full moon's wane

Cleanse thy son's soul of taint and stain

Let now this hurtful spell reverse

And lift from him this vicious curse

As I enter now this sacred space

Return his spirit to its grace."

She dipped her hand on the basin again, and raised it to sprinkle water over his chest as she continued.

"Accept my offered apologies for him to what he had done

Disperse the curse with the first light of the morning's sun."

She dipped her index and middle fingers and took it to rest above his heart, then rubbed gently up and down. She felt the pull of life force and energy out of her body, almost like her soul was being separated from its shell, and immediately felt the physical and mental tiredness that came after. She thanked the Goddesses on her mind and finished the spell with a slight douse of water on the prince's hair. She kneeled beside his body and bowed.

When she rose to his feet, she faced the two beings that she had forgotten the existence of while doing the ritual. They had been true to their word and had not made any distracting move while she broke the curse. Either they are extremely disciplined, or they had badly wanted the recovery of the Prince. Or both.

She gave them a weak smile, the black magic of the curse had been strong, and the ritual had practically drained her of her strength. "It is done."

Both looked doubtful at first, but when they moved closer to see Prince Sasuke's body, his lips coloring into a fleshly pink, and his face flushing with red from the coldness, all traces of uncertainty had disappeared. They both looked extremely relieved. The older Prince smiled at her, a small, but nonetheless a gratified one, while the King also did the same, but with the accompaniment of a curt nod.

"Thank you, Miss Sakura. We owe the life of my nephew to you, we will be eternally grateful." The King said.

She nodded in return, not removing the smile on her face, however, when a gush of pain suddenly flowed through her body, the smile faltered.

As if sensing her fatigue, Prince Itachi had moved to her side and assisted her, "Would you like to rest now?"

He smiled up at him, "If I am allowed to leave now, I will."

The king spoke up, "It is still raining, and it is in the middle of the night. May I suggest that you stay here as a little gratitude token from me?"

She looked at the window; it was strange that the moon was still visible despite the heavy rain. But she paid it no mind, the exhaustion had slowly consumed her, and her mind refused to work anymore, so instead, she just gave a slight nod.

"Take her to one of the reserved quarters for guests, Itachi." Was the King's stable voice.

The Prince nodded and waited for her to finish gathering her scattered paraphernalia before they went out of the room. As soon as the doors opened, she was greeted with the Royal Knight's evaluating stares; she paid them no mind though, and focused on following the person in front of her instead. They travelled the dark hallway again and turned to the first left one that appeared, there were lights now, but she was too tired to observe the room like how she had done before, she turned her head downward and left it as it is until she had bumped onto something hard. When she looked up, she realized it was the Prince's back.

"Oh… I-I am sorry." She muttered absent-mindedly.

The Prince shook her head and opened one of the double doors that led inside the room she would be staying at. "Please take a rest now, you badly need it."

She nodded and bid him goodnight before almost stumbled to the room, she walked up to the bed at the center and fell unceremoniously down on its soft, silky, and inviting softness.

And eventually, finally falling asleep.

**~XX~**

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**_The first ever time that I wrote Sasuke's POV! DUN-DUN-DAAAANN!_  
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**_Thank you for the reviews, and it had just come to my attention recently that I did not put a disclaimer. _**

**_Here it is:_**

**_I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND ALL IT'S AWESOME NINJA GLORY._**

**_Guys, you know the drill! xD_**

**_-Mina_**


	7. Chapter 7: The Eye

**Chapter 7: The Eye**

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**~XX~**

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Sakura cringed before opening her bright-green eyes. The apple orbs was met by the bright filaments of white light that cascaded down on the carpeted floor of her room from the gaps of the rich and lush, red curtain. Some rays shot through the splits of it and landed in soft, warm streaks like lukewarm water on her white skin. Although the sensation of it was great, and it made her feel somewhat home, the battering pain that was tormenting her from inside her head was enough to make her hate the almost perfect and beautiful morning with its golden sunshine and tepid rays that may have made her smile, the flooding memory of last night's depleting activity have had her forming a small frown. She had more or less used up half of her energy which is equivalent to three day's rest, which, she doubted, she would be able to obtain properly while staying at the Royal palace. But she is a doctor, and she had sworn in front of the gods and goddesses, and in the presence of her Master and sister apprentice, that she would fulfill her duties with all her heart, that she would help the ones in need, heal the sick and ill, and ward off darkness to those that were haunted by it. So when the heavy migraine had receded after a while of unseeingly staring at the white ceiling and plotting how on she would spend the day, because obviously, the King would demand her to stay until the second Prince's health comes back to normal; she had decided to finally get up and off the bed.

She swung both of her legs at the side, joints popping and muscles and tendons stretching, and then climbed down the bed. She looked around and found a solitary, white door with a golden knob to her right. She instantly decided that it was the bathroom. What else could it be? She did not think that the Palace would hold doors that would lead to some secret passage on its guest rooms.

She immediately went to her pack and dug through her things. The first thing her hands made contact with, she grabbed. She did not paid much mind to what she would be wearing; she made sure the dresses she brought with her would all fit with the brown color of her corset. She figured that she would not have much time to look pretty because she would be busy curing the Prince. She had not expected it to be a curse, after all, and that the dilemma would all be dealt with in overnight's time. When her hand lifted up a black under dress with a black laced top dress, she inwardly winced and mentally palmed her laterally large forehead. It must have been her Master who had stealthily included her semi-formal dinner dress among her bundle of necessities. Her Mater had a fetish for dressing her up on fancy and laced dresses. She, on the other hand, did not fancy it that much at all. She could only rationalize that it was because she was once a Princess, that she was used to pretty things, that she liked dressing up but she could no longer do it because of her huge chest, so instead, she dressed _her_ up and made her a living doll. Some part of her brain, on the other hand, said that it was because she never had a daughter and she wanted one, and that she had found a daughter in her and Shizune, but Shizune had been hardly home, because of the two of them, she worked hard the most, and was almost everyday out to sell those herbs and medicine, and sometimes, magic, into town. She decided that there should be no wasted time, so she stood up, black and red dress folded neatly on her arm, and went to the door and opened it.

The bathroom was just as grand as the other parts of the palace that she had already seen. It was porcelain white, gold lined everything, and crystals and glasses adorned and made up the knobs and containers of various flower petals, soap, hair wash, and bath spices. On the center of the room was a huge tub buried on the floor, it looked like a gigantic, smooth, chinaware crater with all its smoothness and— what was that?

She walked closer and peeked at the tub, it was filled already, with something creamy white and rich.

'_Milk!'_ She thought with all amazement, _'But how did they-?'_

It was not poured in there last night, when she had instantly fallen asleep when the moment her body touched the bed, no— because it would have spoiled. It had been there just this morning, just before she had woken up!

She shuddered slightly at the thought of her completely unaware and comatose with sleep while some random person entered and exited the room, filling the tub with milk. She could have been salvaged at sleep and she would have not a clue about it! Albeit there should have been nothing to worry about, she was still afraid of the fact that she had been defenseless, even though she was asleep. She _should_ have nothing to worry herself over with, really. She was inside the safest place in the whole of the Land of Fire, guarded by giant walls, catapults, canons, and protected by the Royal Knights, but she still could not help the minutiae of fear that rested deep inside her.

She swallowed, she had never had a milk bath before, it was meant only for the richest of women, and she could not afford to have one. She set her clothes on a small table and stripped off the ones she wore. When she was completely naked, she hesitantly reached a foot down the tub and dumbly tested the milk like what she could have done with water. It was not warm, but it was not cold either, and she liked the temperature. Slowly, she submerged herself unto the white liquid, like a butter biscuit would be, and reveled on the nice feeling and creamy scent it gave off. The white milk clung to her and gave the illusion of an even whiter skin; she slid her hand from her shoulder down to her elbow and felt relaxed at how gentle and smooth the texture of the milk between her skin is.

As much as she had wanted to take her time bathing, the thought of her numerous responsibilities quickly came to her mind. After a moment of taking joy from living in brief luxury, she cleaned up quick and to get herself ready for clothing. She toweled and found a basin of water; she used it to wash off the excess milk on her body. After it, she walked out of the bathroom and dressed herself, doused her neck and shoulders a light sheen of peach essence, then brushed her long locks, which, she pulled the half into a ponytail above her head, she braided the parts she knew would hinder her while working, but not all of it. Then made her way to the double doors and opened it, she was both bemused and surprised, and at the same time, frightened, when she was greeted by the sight two men outside her room.

One was a pale white, the one she had seen last night before the ritual, with his reserved, small smile and slit, honey-colored eyes, while the other one was pitch black, _'it'_ was staring at her with shiny, wide, yellow eyes and a terrifying grin. Both of them have green hair and are wearing white ruffle shirts that bore the royal insignia, she undoubtedly knew they would cost twice the price of her monthly sell of herbs and spices.

She looked at one of them, then at the other, and repeated the action a couple of times before the white one spoke in a soft, but low voice, "Good morning, Miss Sakura."

"Good Morning, My Lord. What might have brought you both here?" She asked, entwining her hands in front of her. The dark _thing's_ grin had widened as her eyes landed on him, and his sharp and pointed teeth came into full view. She mentally shuddered and averted her eyes back to the other man.

"We were sent by the King to come and fetch you since you do not know the castle grounds and you might become lost." The white man answered.

She nodded, "I am sorry if I had kept you waiting long."

He shook his head and the black creature spoke this time, "Believe us, we have waited for other women quite longer than we have had to wait for you, dear."

She felt intimidated when _its _gaze on her suddenly became heavy and thick, she could almost feel it touching her insides flesh, gently stroking and at the same time, tearing like sharp claws of a raven. It all made the skin of her face flush and heat.

"You look utterly delicious today, Miss Sa-ku-ra…" He whispered loudly with his lower voice that it almost sounded as if he was hissing, rolling the syllables of her name on his tongue and pronouncing it resembling to how he would have with a lover's, he seemed intent on making the white man and her hear it. He succeeded. He eyed her up and down, roving his frightening yellows and took in her appearance and the dress she wore, and then he lifted up his dark hand and ran the back of his index finger gently on her folded hands. Her breath hitched, she swallowed hard and felt goose bumps on her arms growing with the creature's touch. The hallway was undeniably wide, but at the moment, it seemed to shrink in smaller and narrower until she almost felt suffocated.

The white man came to her rescue, "Forgive our manners, Miss. We have known you but we have not yet introduced ourselves. Our name is Zetsu."

She blinked, the slimming room had gone instantly gone back to its original form and size, and the much higher-pitched voice of the white man's had brought her out of her momentary reverie. Then her mind decided to function properly again, "O-our?"

The white 'Zetsu' nodded. "We are twins, we are one but not one."

Her brows furrowed, he shook his head, "It is very hard to explain, Miss. We could talk about it sometime but right now, the King wants to see you."

"Oh. Alright, then." Was all she could say before the two had started walking and she had started following them; they passed by countless of doors and many hallways, occasionally, they would meet along the way some servant girls, some would bow and greet them politely, some would frighteningly greet and scoot away, and some would flush, give her a little glare and go, they went by the rows of paintings that hung on the walls that she had seen before she had arrived at the throne room. When they passed by the current King's, she could not stop gaping at it. Yet again. This time, though, she had enough control over herself to tear her eyes away on time.

The journey had been quite long and silent, for some unknown reason, the black man had stopped his flirting endeavor with her, and it gave her much relief. When they arrived at another one of those giant, red, double doors, they have turned to her and the white Zetsu spoke with all somberness in his voice, but still with a small smile, nevertheless. "The King is in the gardens, which is behind these doors. We will not be able to be with you because we have matters to attend to, but you will be escorted around with another Knight or a servant, please make yourself as comfortable as possible, the King will appreciate it."

After she gave him a single nod, he opened the huge door for her and gestured for her to come in, she thanked him for his assistance and he gave a curt nod in return.

She entered the door and her breath stopped, her whole mind acknowledged the beauty of the garden and marveled at the breath of fresh air that surged upon her entrance. She wondered if everything on the palace always looked good.

The bright sunshine and the song of the birds were the second things she had noticed. She was stepping on a stone walkway that led to an arch of colorful roses, the entrance to the enchanting garden. She walked and passed under the arch of flowers, only to be greeted with more, the surrounding areas, if not covered with grasses, was covered with trees, both of fruits and not, and bushes and bushes of fragrant flowers. She even caught sight of oreganos!

She was quite happy, white witches like Wiccans are children of nature; she thanked the Gods and Goddesses on her mind for blessing her with the opportunity to see such beauty, the sun shone warmly at her, as if welcoming her and encouraging her to stay. She smiled, a rare and beautiful one she kept only for her Master and Shizune to see, a smile she kept back only for the happiest memories and experiences. She closed her eyes, opened her arms and made them spread like how a bird's would when ready to take flight, and inhaled the fresh scent of the field; the roses, the oreganos, the trees, the moist soil that had been drenched by last night's rain, the various flowers, some she knew and some she had no idea about what it's name is, and she felt one with nature.

She could have continued doing the act if a masculine and low voice did not interrupt her. "I can see that you are fond of nature, and that you like the garden very much."

She snapped her eyes open and turned around to come face to face with the King, he was smiling at her in a polite way, and was wearing a black chemise open and a dark trouser that matched his shirt. It was a sight to behold, really— that she could not take her eyes off of his well-chiseled, exposed chest, tall frame and manly splendor for a long moment had he not cleared his throat. A red blush the shade of red tinted her cheeks, and she let her lashes flutter when she casted her eyes downward to look at the ground instead. It would have seemed demure, had it not been because of her past action. "I— Y-your— I am—n-not-"

She heard a series of gentle chuckles but decided it best not to look at him again, she might just blush another shade deeper if she did, or she might faint. Either of the two.

"There is no need to be so formal; it is only you and I in this garden, after all." He stated matter-of-factly with all elegance. There was no reply to this, and a moment of silence passed by them before she was able to formulate a proper reply, this time not stuttering, "I am sorry, Your Majesty…"

Another pause again, before the sound of his voice floated into the air, "You look quite exquisite today, I'm sure Zetsu had a hard time."

She furrowed her brows and while still staring at the ground as if it was the most interesting at the moment, she replied, "What do you mean, My King?"

The next sounds that came frightened her a little, approaching footsteps, and then a hand came underneath her face and blocked her view of the grassy and moist soil. The hand's fingers carefully grasped her chin and lifted her head up for her apple-green eyes to meet with stone-black ones. He was so tall that she had to entirely look up, she doubted her head even came up to his shoulders. His eyes were so dark, it almost looked like two hollow pools of shadows, but she was still enthralled by them, she felt imprisoned the moment she looked at them. It was completely different at close range than from afar, the first time she had seen it. Even though their proximity was still one that did not cross the line of civility. And for a moment, she questioned if the blessing of the heavens included this— the ability to daze other people.

"You should not keep your head down and hide your beauty, dear." He said, her mind took a lot of time processing this, and when she did realize the meaning of the words, her still-present blush had deepened even more, she thought she looked like an overripe tomato, and her face heated so much that she became afraid the King might feel the heat she radiated too. She blinked twice before answering.

"I— thank you for the praise, My King." Were all the words she could muster enough brain power to say. The man seemed aware of his effect on her, and he did not seem to mind, in fact, he seemed to not mind it at all.

He held his other hand up and brushed a stray pink hair on her face, then neatly tucked it behind her ear. "You deserve it well."

"Do you always do this?" She blurted out, and then gasped at how rudely the statement had come out, it sounded like she was talking to a friend, or an equal, and he was not both. "I- I am sorry."

He raised a brow at her, but the smile did not disappear. She thought it safe then. "What do you mean?"

She took a slow breath before reverting back to the polite way she talked to him, "It is a nonsensical question, Your Majesty. Please forgive me."

"Hmm…?" He muttered, "I would like to know, still."

It was then that she realized he had not released her chin, nor had he distanced himself to her, yet. But she answered his question. "Captivate people? Does His Majesty always do it?"

He kept staring at her and the smile vanished, then slowly, a smile appeared again, a different smile. It was not polite or curt, but it was priceless, because she figured that it was a real smile. He looked amused to her, and he seemed deep in thought, then he broke the pending atmosphere, "I don't know why, but yes. I don't turn my Sharingan but females still become enthralled sometimes. I really cannot blame them, though."

'_Very humble…' _She thought and smiled. "I see. You have not answered my other question, Your Majesty."

"Ah. Right. Zetsu," He began, "Is a flesh eating creature, you see. He rarely eats humans. Though. But seeing you now, I think it had been hard for him to control himself and not eat you then and there. If I were him, I would eat you immediately before the others see you and take you for themselves."

A small 'Oh' was all she had said in return. So her previous worries of being salvaged on sleep had been correct. She knew it. She trusted her hunches, it was more often than not, right all the time.

"Fear not, Miss Sakura." He released her chin, finally, and faced the rows of trees on their left, looking through the gaps that the distances of each individual trunk created, while she looked at the ground again. "I will never let the savior of my nephew be hurt in any way. I am forever indebted to you and your Master. However, I would like to request that you stay here until my nephew comes back to full health."

She had anticipated that. For her to come back, she would have to stay for longer than a week, it could probably take up to a month if the Prince would not be very cooperative. She sighed, "I will see to it that he recovers quickly, not for the sake of immediately going home, but for his own."

He turned to her and had returned to smiling a polite one again. "Thank you…" he trailed off and continued with, "Miss Sakura, would you mind me asking you a somewhat— personal question?"

She looked at him this time, not being able to help herself, his face was just so addicting, so angelic-looking, that she could have thought he was a God who came down from the heavens and the garden was his very own Eden. "No, Your Majesty. Not at all."

He stepped closer to her and stared at her as if speculating her, "You never told me your last name. What is it?"

She was taken aback. It _was_ a personal question. "I— I don't have one."

The King blinked. "You don't… Have one? What do you mean? You don't have a father?"

She slightly winced at the crassness of the statement. "I was… abandoned when I was young. My Master found me on a town near the borders of the Land of Whirlpool. It was in the middle of wartime, I was left to… Die there, I guess."

The King's expression turned from confused to apologetic, then confused again, "You guess?"

She gave a small shrug and answered, "I have no real memories from the first seven years of my life. I did not even know what my name was when Master Tsunade found me, just incoherent and blurry pieces of memories, some of them in the form of dreams, so I'm not really sure which is real and which is not. Some are so realistic and normal; I count those ones as the real memories. The others that are not are dreams."

"Are you saying that you dream of Dragons and Ogres? Are those the unreal ones?" He asked again and she shook her head. "Then what kind of dreams are they?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment and answered, "They seemed real too. But they were just impossible— really impossible to believe in, that I don't count them as part of my past. They come in normal scenes too, like me as a little girl wearing pretty dresses, and a servant calling me 'princess', or me standing in front of a beautiful coach. I don't think it is possible, since I was found wearing rags and almost dying."

The King's expression twisted into an apologetic one. "I am sorry. I did not know you have been through a hard life also."

She gave him a puzzled look and he smiled that rare smile again. "I suppose it is only fitting that I tell you of my life as you have told me yours." He sighed, and she became all-ears as he said this. "I was born and raised on a family of warriors and soldiers. When I was thirteen years old, my only brother, whom you have not seen yet because he is in the land of Rain to attend to political matters, had almost gotten killed by a disease that infested the Uchiha camp at that time. I was already engaging in combat then, and was one of the soldiers of the former King, through the mouths of the servants, the news of my brother's situation reached him, and I told him that I refuse to fight while my brother is still suffering and that I would remain by his side. He called for the Royal Doctor and my brother was treated. I was overjoyed that I promised the King my ultimate loyalty and forever servitude…" he stopped to take a long breath and continued, pacing back and forth at a slow rhythm while speaking with a wistful expression.

"I served for nine years and have managed to get my way and become one of his generals. The time of war came, and because of most of the soldier's lack of skill, we lost, and the King died in the hands of the other King. I was a witness to it, along with the other generals. Before he died, he appointed me as the next king, and that my promise would have to be fulfilled in another form, by serving the people of the Land of Fire. That was how I came into position." He finished his story with a sad smile; it appeared that he was still grieving over the loss of the last king.

"But— How about your eyes, Your Majesty?" She shamelessly asked, forgetting at the moment everything about decorum. He blinked.

"Ah, yes. 'The Red Eyes', as they dub it. Well…" he paused, "A black Witch fell in-love with me during my first ten years of ruling. I refused her and she cursed me. The curse of Narcissus, are you familiar with it?" He asked and she nodded swiftly.

"It is an enchantment curse. But why would she put something like that on you? It is supposed to become a favor, not a curse."

He shook his head. "She wanted me to experience the pain of excessive attention and physical love. If I enchant a woman, she will not be able to love me for myself, but because of the spell. And only when the witch dies will I, along with the others in my family, be free of it."

She nodded, "I see. So she is still alive, seeing that all of you still have it. How do you turn it off, then?"

His smile widened, as if he was pleased with the fact that she was interested. He turned towards the woods again, this time, wearing a wistful look on his face. "Fifty years ago, a wanted warlock came into the land and made a deal with me, I will protect him from the law and he will devise a way to let us temporarily turn our eyes into normal again. The process is not available for long, though. When our eyes are normal, it gives us extreme headaches. By the passing of time, we have learned to adapt and get used to the headache, it still hurts, nevertheless. But we really did not mind at all, since came with the eyes is power."

"Power?"

He nodded, "I was able to defeat the witch in a fight and won the deal we have made, there were two original curses, one is the Narcissus' curse, and the other was a death curse known as 'Hades and Persephone', it would take away the life of the cursed person when the time of fall comes. We made a deal to settle things in a fight, if she wins, she will become my queen, and if I win, she will leave and lift the death curse. I had not known then, that the Narcissus' curse had been already casted. I managed to defeat her, she lifted the death curse and left. That was when our eyes had begun to change. It was too late when I had found it all out."

'_Did he just say fifty years ago? How old is he, really?' _was what she thought. There was an awkward silence after that.

"My King?"

The King tilted his head to her direction, "Yes?"

"Why did you want to see me?"

He smiled again, that genuine and somewhat childish tilt of the lips that made him look much more carefree and younger, as if he was not the King, as if he did not bear the burdens of the lands. "I would like you to dine with me."

She blinked. "Are you certain, Your Majesty?"

The only confirmation she had received is a single, small nod, before her stomach decided to let him know that she had not eaten anything from the previous night before she had arrived here, until this morning. A short, faint, and very embarrassing sound of a grumble was released, the sound hanging on around them like an appalling revelation when it passed.

Her blush had returned tenfold, a deep chuckle succeeding after it.

"You must be famished. Come." The King led her away from the chain of trees and bushes. "I am rather lonely because I take breakfast alone, most of the time. The whole family is either too busy or I, myself am, that I forgot to eat at times."

She watched him from the corner of her eyes, how he took each stride with great elegance and more grace than she could. It made her jealous and envious for a while, and she almost laughed out loud at the thought. A girl, getting jealous and envious over a man? Preposterous!

They came into a small but grand shelter. It looked like a white, Western-styled pagoda. In it was a small, round table that could sit four persons. The table was white-painted with complicated carvings of flowers, vines, and such. It held above it various arrays of food, from bread and fruits to sweets and dessert, a tea set for four, and then at each ends, there were two wooden chairs, the arms and seater parts of it was covered with the comfortable pads foam.

He guided her to one of the chairs and pulled it backward to let her sit, she did so, and he pushed the chair as soon as she had to catch her. The table was small that if they both lean forward, they would be able to make their foreheads touch. He rounded the table and sat opposite her, and the feeling of jealousy came again. _'How could he be so graceful and also be a man at the same time?'_ Was what she thought.

He stared at her and, not taking his eyes away from her face, picked a strawberry and took the half of it in an almost sensual bite. She felt embarrassed at her own track of thought; and watched as he chewed, on what she could only describe as a sexy manner, on the red strawberry inside his mouth.

"Are you not going to eat anything?" Came his voice after he had swallowed the fruit.

She was taken out of her internal debate with the naughty side of herself as she heard him say it. With slightly shaking hands, she reached out for a piece of blueberry tart and brought it to her plump lips. She started chewing mechanically, not really tasting the food and enjoying it as she observed the King take one for him too.

Both of them remained silent while they ate their food. She felt herself getting thirsty from all the sweet foods she had been taking, she reached out for the teapot, only to stop dead when her hand came in contact with his, which, she have failed to notice, was also reaching out for the same thing.

Her hands tensed below his also uptight ones, and their eyes locked for a moment before the King made the first move and removed his hand to grasp the handle of the teapot to pour tea for the both of them. "I…" He started, quite awkwardly, and continued with a quiet voice, "I am sorry."

She shook her head, "I am sure it was not intended, My King."

He looked up at him and he blinked twice before nodding. She glanced down at her tea and uttered the first thing that came to her mind, "Even if you are cursed with those eyes, and even if you were not the King, I think I will still be able to fall in-love with you because you are yourself and nothing else more—"

Her eyes widened and she gasped as a warm, large, hand covered her other hand that was resting atop the table. He had held her hand, and when she glanced at him, he wore a serious but sad face. He watched her with something unexplainable on those dark, black eyes.

"I wish I had met you earlier in my life." He said poignantly, the words spilling out from his mouth like an aged, heartbreakingly forlorn love song. "I wish you were born on my time, I would have loved to live my life again if I could, with you, if what you have told me were true."

"I— It is true…"

He gave her a nod again. He released her hand with a sigh and she bowed her head to stare at her tea again. "You are different, Sakura." Had you been any other lady, you would have been begging me to make you my queen upon knowing that."

An inexplicable shudder crept up from the bottom of her spine and up to the base of her neck upon hearing her name being used by the King without the honorific 'Miss'. The idea of her as a queen sounded absurd, but it appealed to her in a way. A family with the King?

Her head shot up, "I forgot!"

The King gave her a curious look, "Forgot what, dear?"

She ignored the fact that she have called her 'dear' for the second time during their whole meeting. "I have to— The Prince; I have to take a look at him. The spell stated that the first light of the sun should make the healing complete, if he is still in that room, then I—"

She was stopped by a charming smile, "Do not fret, Sakura. You may see him now."

She nodded and gave a respectful bow to the King, before she lifted her head, he spoke again. "Sakura, I forgot to tell you about our forthcoming war with the Land of Music, may I request that you stay for a while longer to assist those that would be wounded during the battle?"

She mentally sighed. She gave a small nod; head still bowed, and rose to give the King a reserved smile before turning her back and walking towards the way of the garden door.

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**~XX~**

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_**Sorry the update took extra long. I'm currently having writer's block, and the shitty internet and the god-forsaken hurricanes weren't really helping at all either .**_

_**I thought you guys deserved a long chapter, I was aiming for 7,000 words but dear, little Writer's Block won't let me do that so...**_

_**I hope you don't mind me pairing her up with an ancient guy xD**_

_**The next updates will become longer and longer in word count until I finally manage to give you a 7,000+ words per chapter update.**_

_**In the meantime, please bear with this. Also, I may not be able to update for a long time because the electricity kept on being such a bane. There are current blackouts, I can't really do something about that. **_

_**Please keep reviewing, ne?**_

-Mina


	8. Author's Note

**Dear readers,**

I am very depressed to inform you that I will be temporarily discontinuing this story. However, fret not, because I **will** continue it when all the problems and stress life has been giving me lately fades away. Also, I need **suggestions**, my best friend, Writer's Block, had been visiting me a lot lately. Whenever I would get an idea and pick up a pen and my notebook, it would quickly disperse, or I would not know what to do next.

So, please don't kill me. Make contributions and **suggest stuff.** Any suggestion is welcome. But be sure to make it Sakura-centric, okay?

Alright. For now, I must bid you all farewell.

**Ja ne!**

**- Mina**


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